Securing Trailers

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stewsdjrescue

New DJ
Sep 2, 2007
178
1
35
MD
www.impactdj.com
I'm looking into possibly purchasing a trailer. It would probably stay in my garage. However, when I go to college, I'd like to take it with me and find some place to rent a parking spot. My only fear is keeping it secure and not being stolen, wherever I go.

If I'm at a gig, I'm thinking I would just back it up against a wall. Is there a way to keep people from disconnecting it from my car?

When its parked by itself, what are the best locks for the hitch and the doors?

Suggestions?

Thanks!
 
Get a locking hitch pin.

Also make sure you get one for your cargo doors.

Oh yea, get a locking pin for your your actual ball hitch to connect to your vehicle.

You can get them about anywhere.

No one has messed with my trailer and vehicle hitched together...

however I have had my ball hitch stole right off my pickup in my yard, in town, under lights. My hitch was stolen between 1230am and 4am. The hitch was painted all blaze orange! lol

Actually I had a second one stolen from my workplace as well.

Make sure you get all locks to protect your investments.

You will maybe spend $30 in locks..but you protect a lot.

I have on occasion..back my locked trailer as close as I can to a building. I have parked my trailer back to big snow drifts/piles. I have back my trailer up close to vehicles behind me. I use every trick I can to protect myself.

*Cross my fingers* I havent had any trouble as of yet, and I hope it always stays that way!

Make sure you keep two keys, and make sure they are accessible. I one time, had to cut a lock because my keys were at my parents, 25 miles away. It does happen....
 
I'm looking into possibly purchasing a trailer. It would probably stay in my garage. However, when I go to college, I'd like to take it with me and find some place to rent a parking spot. My only fear is keeping it secure and not being stolen, wherever I go.

If I'm at a gig, I'm thinking I would just back it up against a wall. Is there a way to keep people from disconnecting it from my car?

When its parked by itself, what are the best locks for the hitch and the doors?

Suggestions?

Thanks!

As far as best locks...I like Master..

You can pick up most locks at Wal-Mart. They usually keep a good selection.
 
Thanks! So no issues from people disconnecting the trailer from the car? Is there a lock you can put on the hitch when its attached to your vehicle?

The locking hitch pin makes it impossible to remove the trailer from the hitch. If you have your hitch locked to the car your golden! Also, when away from home store your trailer in a locked storage facility with camera on the gate...should be fine!
 
Thanks! So no issues from people disconnecting the trailer from the car? Is there a lock you can put on the hitch when its attached to your vehicle?

Not typically..people don't normally try to unhook a trailer to steal it..but yes it can happen.

question #2: Yes!

Again to try to protect yourself the best you can......I would lock the ball and hitch to the vehicle, and I would lock where you close the hitch pin around the ball hitch...and I would lock your back door.

I agree with MBM as well...if you need extra comfort...those wheel locks are a great idea! Very good suggestion!
 
Adam: The type of locks you'll need is dependent upon where you live. Here, in upstate New York, winters (generally October through April) are very cold, snowy, and they use salt to de-ice the highways. Department/hardware store locks will give you one winter season if kept clean from water, salt, and ice.

I would suggest purchasing high quality, stainless steel, and weather-proof padlocks, all keyed alike for each door AND the dual safety chain that normally is attached with a useless S-hook. Use one of those padlocks instead, replacing that S hook on safety chain.

Use another style high quality, stainless steel, and weather-proof padlock for the hitch lock that makes it very difficult to fit a hack saw or bolt cutter on the shackle arm.

When the locks are purchased brand new, shoot up the insides with a waterproofing lubricant similar to what pros use on heavy duty garage door springs. DO NOT use WD40 if regional temperatures drop below 32 degrees. WD40, though initially a cleaning agent, immediately becomes a crud magnet, and the crud, when frozen means the key slots freeze up too.

When the trailer is parked and disconnected from the towing vehicle, buy an extra towing ball and when you lock the hitch lock, put the spare ball into the hitch receiver. The eliminates someone towing it off using a smaller ball.

If additional security comfort is desired, get the "wheel club" or "wheel shoe". Those wire wheel locks are child's play to remove.

One other security tidbit. Any advertising on the exterior that relates to anything DJ (in some areas of our great land) translates directly to "Good stuff inside. If you have a drug habit, and are in need of quick cash, steal me!"
 
When the trailer is parked and disconnected from the towing vehicle, buy an extra towing ball and when you lock the hitch lock, put the spare ball into the hitch receiver. The eliminates someone towing it off using a smaller ball.
I purchased a hitch lock that has a ball attached. It then has a u shaped bar that fits over the hitch lever. So if you're anal like me you can lock the hitch lever in two ways including a ball.
 
Thanks for all of the tips! However, when I posted this on another site I received some scarry scenarios- people ripping the whole door off the back, etc. The storage on an enclosed storage locker might be too high, and I was thinking of renting a "parking space" that the facility offers. I heard of deadbolting the doors from the inside as well. Just want to be secure and not have my items stolen!
 
Stewsdjrescue : The purpose of most locks is to keep honest people honest. If an experienced burglar, cut and run, or hijacker wants that trailer, it's gone in a heartbeat. This is an unfortunate observation being made by this former LA cop who took of lot of stolen trailer reports from teary-eyed campers and business owners.

If anything, keep a tracking device secreted and activate when you leave it so at least you might be able to find what's left of it an hour after it was taken.

If the number of locks needed to set the unit "free" would take more than 60 seconds to hack, pry, saw, torch, jimmy, pick, or bolt cut, chances are you'll be fine.

But for God's sake, don't keep a spare set of the keys in your towing vehicle. Take a wild shot where the experienced drug addict thug will look first? Yep. The towing vehicle. Window smash, keys in hand, bye bye trailer.
 
Cap speaks from experience so listen carefully. He's been a trailer owner as well for quite some time.

I will say however if you're going to live in fear of every possible scenario that might or will happen then don't buy one. You could just as easily jackknife the trailer while driving and loose all your equipment to damage. It may or may not be covered on your car insurance. But if you're that concerned then buy insurance in case your equipment is stolen. For a few hundred dollars a year you'll have piece of mind.

I do keep a set of spare keys hidden on my vehicle. I didn't say in it, I said on it. Magnetic boxes can be place in the most in convenient places but will save your @$$ when you lock your keys in your vehicle. Now my experience. As a firefighter I've unlocked many vehicles with children left inside with the keys. People who are just in a rush, put the keys on the seat, and hit the auto lock. And many who just leave them in the ignition with the vehicle running. In my town it was our job to assist. Let me tell you, I've done it myself a few times. In fact just last year when Alphabet came to visit me, I accidentally locked him in the car with the keys in the ignition. Boy was my face red when my guys had to free him.:sqerr:
 
also another form of deterrent. My neighbor had his vehicle broke into but they gave up trying to get inside his trailer when finding the sides cut away revealed another wall inside the time and effort to go through another wall avoided any loss.
 
I know a guy who has a trailer who is not a DJ. He keeps his trailer in his driveway at night. He actually has a huge I-Bolt built into his driveway surface.... he then chains the trailer to the bolt... This chain is REALLY thick... it looks like an inch thick.
 
Papa : And the lock is what? The wire isn't the weak link. I hope that whole enchilada isn't secured with one pad lock (or worse yet, a tumbler device)
 
Papa : And the lock is what? The wire isn't the weak link. I hope that whole enchilada isn't secured with one pad lock (or worse yet, a tumbler device)


Multiple padlocks. Looks to me like it would take a helluva effort to steal it.... Might be easier just to bust up the trailer.....
 
Good. The thought of some junkie peddling stolen hard earned hard worked for stuff for 25 cents on the dollar to feed their over-priced addiction fries my ass. I had no remorse for OD victims and to this day have a hard time understanding why folks venerate pop music stars who offed themselves with junk. Simply a longer, more expensive, and demeaning method of suicide then biting a muzzle. I feel incredible sad for the survivors.
 
I suggest everything Cap stated PLUS here is what I suggest. Get a trailer alarm that runs on it's own battery. It gives you an extra level of security. If your trailer has electric brakes, when it goes off, it automatically locks the wheels so they have to drag it off burning the tires as they go.

It can also page your cell phone to alert you that it is being messed with. Mount a 140db horn deep inside the trailer. route the wires behind frame tracks & gussets to make it more difficult to cut. Select a trailer with as few doors as possible. Place the more difficult to replace, quickly, more valuable items farthest away from the door. Then I stack as much large heavy, difficult to move items as I can in front of them. Think Dual 18" bass bin folded horns, trussing, truss crank stands.

This will effectively minimize your risks of loss.

Also understand that anyone with a pair of bolt cutters or battery powered tools can cut any padlock off in less than 30 seconds. Trailer locks as has been said, only keep the honest folks that way. The best trailer locks I have seen are circular with a circular bolt that minimizes the exposure of the bolt to a very small about. Very hard to get cutters or tools in between.

The larger overriding issue is that if the lock looks too formidable, they can just cut the entire latch off in less than a minute. Examine the hasp on your trailer sometime. A small battery powered skill saw (typ 2.5" dia) with a diamond blade can take it off in no time flat.

I would place the trailer inside a locked storage unit. Mine is also alarmed so there are now two levels of entry with alarms & horns that they have to over come.